There has not been a secular fighting force in Syria for close to a year. Instead, it has become the destination for jihadists across the world to engage in holy war. It is the rallying cry for the worldwide jihad.

This war is not about nationality, borders, geography. Jihadists in Syria include British, American, French, German, Norwegian Muslims.

In the past week, jihad supporters on Twitter have been discussing and praising the phenomenon of young men from Arab countries who quit their studies in the West in order to join the jihad in Syria. Their tweets indicate that quite a few such students – most of them Saudis who were enrolled in universities in the U.S., Britain, Australia, Germany and elsewhere – are joining the thousands of foreigners who are already fighting in Syria.

The discussion started on November 17, 2013 when a Saudi sheikh posted a series of tweets under the hashtag "From Studies Abroad to Jihad," in which he told of two young Saudis who quit their studies in the U.S. and came to fight in Syria.

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Jihadis From U.S., U.K., Finland, Germany; Online Jihadis Create Hashtag Praising Young Men Who Quit Studies In West To Fight In Syria

There has not been a secular fighting force in Syria for close to a year. Instead, it has become the destination for jihadists across the world to engage in holy war. It is the rallying cry for the worldwide jihad.

This war is not about nationality, borders, geography. Jihadists in Syria include British, American, French, German, Norwegian Muslims.

In the past week, jihad supporters on Twitter have been discussing and praising the phenomenon of young men from Arab countries who quit their studies in the West in order to join the jihad in Syria. Their tweets indicate that quite a few such students – most of them Saudis who were enrolled in universities in the U.S., Britain, Australia, Germany and elsewhere – are joining the thousands of foreigners who are already fighting in Syria.